Gloucestershire has witnessed a worrying rise in road fatalities, with deaths from traffic accidents increasing by more than 50% over the past three years, according to recent official data.
In the last year alone, 26 deaths were recorded from road collisions, an increase from 21 fatalities two years prior and 17 in 2023. Alongside this, serious injuries totaled 280 last year, slightly down from 291 in 2024 and 365 in 2023. Meanwhile, slight injuries also decreased, with 838 cases in 2025 compared to 1,055 and 1,085 in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
These figures were highlighted during a meeting of Gloucestershire’s environment scrutiny committee on May 6, where councillors voiced their frustration over the current lack of a comprehensive strategy to tackle road safety.
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Councillor Chris McFarling (Green, Sedbury) criticized the absence of a clear plan to reduce fatality numbers and emphasized the failure to monitor the effectiveness of safety measures. He pointed to Sweden’s road infrastructure designs, which mitigate the consequences of human error by creating safer road environments that reduce deaths and serious injuries.
McFarling stated, “A strategy is not a plan. We haven’t got a plan yet. A plan is not an action, we are still waiting for the action, and an action is not an outcome.” He stressed the need for pre- and post-implementation monitoring of safety measures, citing an example near Woolaston Primary School where newly installed signs and road markings failed to slow traffic speeds.
“If you don’t monitor, then you don’t know,” he said. “We are enforcing programs, which is positive, but we have no data to confirm if they are effective.”
Supporting these concerns, Strategic Highways Chief Roger Whyborn (Liberal Democrat, Benhall and Up Hatherley) acknowledged resource constraints but maintained that the council’s targets to reduce fatalities and serious injuries remain realistic. He highlighted that the implementation of 20mph speed zones aims to address speed-related risks.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Evans, chairing the road safety partnership, pledged to hold stakeholders accountable in efforts to reduce road deaths and injuries to zero. He stressed that unlike other types of deaths, road fatalities should not be accepted as inevitable accidents, emphasizing collective responsibility to strive for safer roads.
“If 25 people died in any other way, the response would be immediate and robust,” Evans remarked. “But accidents on the road do not have to happen. We aim to bring that number down.”
Jason Humm, Transport and Highways Director, confirmed ongoing investment in community 20mph zones and other safer roads initiatives. He highlighted the need for additional revenue funding to boost education and awareness campaigns that complement physical infrastructure improvements.
“The focus remains on significant capital investment to reduce casualties, but awareness efforts require sustained financial support,” Humm explained.
These discussions underscore the urgent need for a detailed, actionable plan combined with rigorous monitoring to confront the rising tide of road fatalities in Gloucestershire.